Cowboys Offense A Triple Treat

Aikman, Irvin And Smith: Quick Strikes, Ball Control

February 01, 1993|By GREG GARBER; Courant Staff Writer

PASADENA, Calif. — It was only two years ago that the Dallas Cowboys had the NFL's second-worst offense. Clearly, quarterback Troy Aikman, running back Emmitt Smith and wide receiver Michael Irvin were gifted players, but they were painfully young. They didn't get much help in the Cowboys' 7-9 season of 1990.

But those skill-position players gradually matured and the Cowboys surrounded them with better players. After their searing 52-17 victory Sunday in Super Bowl XXVII, the Dallas Cowboys loom as a terrifying prospect for the rest of the NFL. They are not young, as it turns out; merely precocious.

It was the second-highest scoring output in Super Bowl history, behind San Francisco's 55-10 victory over Denver in 1990. Kicker Lin Elliott, who converted seven extra points, looked exhausted walking off the field.

And while the Dallas defense (and Buffalo's generally sloppy offense) got most of the attention, it was the trio of Aikman, 26, Irvin, 26, and Smith, 23, who turned the Bills' mistakes into points.

The havoc they wrought goes beyond their numbers. Aikman completed 22 of 30 passes for 273 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions. Irvin caught six of those passes for 114 yards and two TDs. Smith carried the ball 22 times for 108 yards and one TD.

Aikman was named Most Valuable Player, the 15th quarterback so honored.

"I'm going into the games now knowing the people are going to come open, so I don't have to force the ball," Aikman said. "The offense has really become tough to stop."

Said coach Jimmy Johnson: "Troy is a great, great football player. His poise is the thing. He hasn't let the superstar status go to his head. He's been very level-headed."

With Buffalo leading 7-0 midway through the first quarter, Dallas recovered a fumble at the Bills 47-yard line. On third-and-16, Aikman hit Irvin with a 20-yard pass to keep the

drive alive. Three plays later, Aikman hit tight end Jay Novacek with a 23-yard touchdown pass to tie the score.

Late in the second quarter, with Dallas leading 14-10, the offense broke loose again. Smith eluded the Bills for 38 yards off left tackle, following a hole created by fullback Daryl Johnston. On the next play, Aikman feathered a perfect 19-yard touchdown pass to Irvin, who was untouched on a bold slant from the left side.

The Bills ran exactly one play -- a Thurman Thomas run that turned into a fumble recovered by Dallas -- before Aikman and Irvin combined for the prettiest play of the game. Irvin, lined up on the right side, worked opposite Buffalo cornerback James Williams off the line of scrimmage, at the Bills 18. When Irvin curled to the ball, Williams went for the interception and just missed. Irvin turned upfield, avoiding Williams, then ducked inside cornerback Nate Odomes and dived into the end zone in a shades-of-Jerry Rice move.

The two touchdowns were separated by 15 seconds, the narrowest margin in Super Bowl history. That made the score 28-10 and essentially put the game out of reach. The second half was more of the same.

The Cowboys took the opening kickoff and moved 77 yards to set up a 20-yard Elliott field goal. Smith carried four times for 28 yards and Irvin caught two passes for 37.

With 8 minutes, 12 seconds remaining, Smith broke into the end zone with a 10-yard run that crowned his game